Thursday, 19 February 2009
This past week has been a whirlwind of complete craziness filled with working, cleaning, sicking, visiting, more working, more sicking, shopping, packing, and finally flying half way across the world to Taiwan on what has to be my longest and most tedious travel experience to date. In stroke of pure luck, I managed to catch that awful life-sucking flu going around the northeast portion of the country in the middle of all the other craziness going on. I’m starting to feel better now, but being on a plane breathing moisture free recycled air for three days really doesn’t help anything.
The short story attached to my impromptu international travel extravaganza goes something like this: A few weeks ago, while Andy and I were still enjoying the sun and surf of Southern California, my dad called to let us know my little sister had been in a minor scooter/car accident in Taiwan, where she is currently living. Fast forward to last Monday when Team Soell was trekking it’s way back across the continental US, Julenna called with the news that three hospital visits, numerous internal photographs, and several non english-speaking medical professionals later, she learned that she had torn both her ACL and meniscus and would require surgery as soon as possible. Since my father doesn’t have a passport and his wife has never been on an airplane before, I was the obvious choice to hop on over to accompany her on the wild and crazy adventure of surgery in a foreign country.
So here I am, after three days of vertical sleeping positions, in Taichung, Taiwan snapping photos on the balcony of my sister’s flat. I got in late last night after a crazy flight that went Columbus to Chicago to LAâ€â€missed the connection to Taipei so I spent the night in LAâ€â€LA to Tokyo to Taipei and then a train ride from Taipei to Taichung. I have today to get caught up on as much sleep as possible before we head to the hospital Friday morning for the surgery. I’ve heard rumors that acupuncture is on the menu for today. This should be fun.
Saturday, 07 February 2009
Andy and I finally made it back to our little house around 11:30 EST last night. The reunion with our king size bed was an emotional one after sharing a tiny, tiny bed for the last month. I will be updating with the remainder of the Seven Mornings photos as well as a few I took from the road next week, but I thought I would throw up a few point-and-shoot shots of the Von Iva (not to be confused with Bon Iver...which is an awesome band, by the way) recording that Andy and I went to this afternoon at the CD101 Big Room.
I wasn't really sure what to expect, since I hadn't really heard much of their stuff, but Andy won free tickets via a Twitter contest so we thought we'd go and check it out. We were pleasantly surprised! They had a great upbeat girly punk energy despite the tiny group of us all sitting politely at their feet. I'm sure they are used to a much more raucous crowd to feed off of. And Jillian Iva? That chick has some hot legs, let me tell you.
They are playing this evening at the Ravari Room, so if you are into girly punk electro-soul rock 'n roll, you should check them out.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
I have gained such a respect for surfers since we've been here. These guys (and girls) are seriously devoted in ways I will never understand. They hit the beach around 5:30 am and don't leave until the sun is completely gone. The Pacific always feels super cold compared to the Atlantic, in my opinion. But let me tell you, in January that water is seriously freezing. I put my feet in one deceptively 80 degree day and every muscle in my body sent an SOS message to my brain. Coldest water I have ever felt.  But those surfers? Those surfers are out there every morning floating on their boards watching the sun rise and waiting for the ocean to throw them a bone.
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